Gas release valve for wells



June 25, 1940.

A. WILSON GAS RELEASE VALVE FOR WELLS gig/ cantor I? A W/LSO/V w H 3 wi Filed Oct. 1, 1937 v pumping. To remove oil from wells in such Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of 10 areas a cheaper and more efficient system, as Fig. 2. v hereinafter disclosed, has been devised, such sys- Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line i l tern including a stage lift comprising the comof Fig. 3. bination of a submerged centrifugal pump and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line I released belowa packer and builds up a pressure ing string 5 connected to a stage connector t 20 lJNlTED status Artur GAS RELEASE VALVE FOR warms Robert Alexander Wilson, Dallas, Tex, assignor to Kibele Manufacturing Company, Dallas,

Tex., a corporation of Texas Application October 1, 1937, Serial No. 166,839

4 illaims. (Cl. 1662) The invention relates to well producing equipthe drawing disclosing a preferred embodiment ment and comprises a continuation-in-part of and in which: my copendin application, Serial No. 112,444, Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation showing the defiled November 24, 1936, for Gas flow packer. vice of the present invention in a well, certain 5 In certain oil producing areas formation parts being shown in section. 5 pressures are insufficient to effect natural flow- Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the ing' of wells and the height through which the line 2--2 of Fig. 3 and showing the construction oil must be lifted is too great for practical and of the packer and gas release valve of the invenefiicient production by air lift or mechanical tion and their relative positions within a well.

15 a gas lift, the latter being effective above a 5-5 of Fig.2. 15 packer in the well at such a level that the pump n -pa t ular y t Fi a w ll cas n and air lift will operate at maximum efiiciency. i is shown as provided with a casing head 2 Withthe removal of large quantities of oil having outlets, 3 for-conducting the flow of liqwhere this system of production is used, gas is uid from the well. Within the casing i is a tubon the producing formation which retards flow which has been described and. claimed in the from the formation and which will eventually above mentioned copending application. .A lower the fluid level until gas lock of the pump packer assembly l is connected to the stage conmechanism occurs. When this condition occurs nector 6 and has a central bore 8 which is conit is necessary to remove the unit from the well tinuous through a flow line 9, which extends unless provision is made to relieve the gas presdownwardly from the packer l to a submergible sure below the packer. When the unit is removed pump unit generally designated as it and which for this purpose, or for the purpose of making is preferably electrically driven by energy deany repair thereto, the pressure below the packer livered thereto through an electric cable M which is not released until the instant the packer is passes downwardly within the casing i. As gas 30 withdrawn from the bore hole. At such time may be released within the casing i below the material amounts of oil are sprayed for a 0011? Packer e eby a pressure is built up against siderable distance from the well, thus creating the P du formation d forcing the q d a fire hazard, as well as other obvious disadlevel-downwardly about the pump iii to thereby vantages. cause a gas lock, a gas release valve generally It is the primary object of the invention to designated as if? is provided in the flow line b provide a construction which eliminates vapor below the packer l.

or gas lock in a pumping system of the class In thedev ce t u generally described e ubdescribed. mergible pump unit it forces the submerging 40 An important objectis to provide a construcliquid upwardlywithin-the flow line t to the tion which obviates the spraying of oil as above stage connector tin which a barrier i5 is placed described when removing the pumping unit from in the central bore 8 of the flow line. The the well. pumped fluid is hence forced outwardly as shown Another object is to provide a pumping system by the-arrow it through passages ii in the stage of the class described in which a gas release valve connector and into the annular p e M Within releases into the flow line any gas pressure which the cas ng l d above 2the Packer The Stage has built up below the packer within the well. necto 5 is als P v ded w dow a y Still another object is to provide a release valve eXtending P s 9 om above the barrier assembly that will not become clogged from i5 and an aerating fluid is forced downwardly parafiin or other obstructing material which has through the tub 5 a through these Passages 5 accumulated in the well bore. whereby it is exhausted into the annular space With the foregoing objects as primary obill at a point below that at which the pump jects the invention has particular reference to fluid is exhausted into this annular space. This mechanism which will be manifest from the feature is most clearly shown and is believed following description taken in connection with apparent by referenceto Figs. 2 to 4.. 5E

The packer I comprises a mandrel l9 which is attached to the lower end of the stage connector 6 and has an outwardly extending shoulder 2| which is suitably afixed thereto or may bemade integral with themandrel 20 whereby the packing cups 22 and their associated spacing or retaining elements are supported in desired relative position. The lower end of the mandrel :20 is provided with threads 23 for engagement with complementary threads on the gas release valve l2 which will now be described.

The gas release valve assembly I2 comprises the body 25 which is threaded at both'ends for connection in the flow line 9 to provide a continuous passage through the flow line. Intermediate its ends the body 25 is provided with radial openings 26 and surrounding the body in the plane of these openings is an annular ring 21, which is secured to the body 25 as by welding. Alternatively, it is obvious that the ring 21 may be made integral with the body 25.

The ring 21 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal counter-bored openings 28. The lower ends of these openings are beveled at 29 to serve as a seat for a ball valve member 30 placed therein prior to closure of the counterbores, as by threaded caps 3|. The inner cylindrical surface of the ring 21 has-an annular groove and radial passages 34 leading from this groove to the respective counter-bored openings 28. From this construction it is apparent that the respective valves open inwardly to permit the passage of fluid into the central passage or bore 8 of the body 25 whenever the external pressure exceeds the internal pressure.

Below the ring 2'! the body 25 is provided with an annular radial skirt 36 which has a radially extending upper face 31, a rounded peripheral edge 38 and a tapered lower face 39. Paraiiin accumulates on the walls of the wells and when the unit above described is lowered into the well this paraflin balls up ahead of the packer and may also be scraped from the walls of the well by the radial ring portion 21 of the gas release valve l2 when -the unit is lowered to its operating position. The skirt 36 serves as a radial protector flange to prevent paraffin from entering the valve openings in the release valve I 2 and hence prevents the clogging of the release valve as the unit is lowered into the well.

- As previously explained, fluid submerging the pump unit ID in a well is pumped upwardly by means of the pump and is exhausted through passages I! of the stage connector 6 into the .casing l above the packer 1. The column of fluid is then aerated by means of a gaseous fluid forced downwardly through a tubing string 5 and in this mannera large volume of fluid is easily lifted to the surface and discharged through the flow line 3. If, however, a gas pressure builds up below the packer I such pressure forces the fluid level downwardly and gas locking of the pump Ill results. When this condition exists the unit may be shut down and when the pressure in the flow line becomes less than the pressure in the annularspace below the packer I, the release valve l2 permits relase of the pressure below the packer until the .internal and external pressures are equalized and in this manner'the principal object of the invention is attained.

On the other hand, a unit of the class described may be provided with means for shutting down the unit at predetermined intervals whereby the undesirable gas pressure will be released automatically and gas lock-of the pump unit will at all times be avoided. 1

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction and use above described but comprehends other embodiments and uses which will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention is therefore limited only as indicated by thescope of the appended claims as viewed in the lightof the foregoing disclosure and the prior art.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a flow line provided with a surrounding packer, gas release means below the packer, said means comprising a plurality of valves opening inwardly to the interior of the flow line, and an outwardly extending skirt below said valves to deflect clogging material from the valves.

2. A gas release valve comprising a body threaded at its ends for connection in a tubing string, valve means on said body for admitting fluid to the interior of said body, and an annular skirt extending outwardly from the body adjacent said valve means to deflect clogging material from the valves.

3. A gas release assembly comprising a tubular body portion having an outwardly extending skirt thereon, openings in said body above the skirt, a hollow annular flange about the body in the plane of said openings, there being passages from the interior of said flange to said openings, and valved openings in the flange adjacent said skirt.

4. In a flow line provided with a surrounding .packer, a gas release valve comprising a body connected in the flow line below the packer, said body having an axial bore continuous with the bore ofthe flow line, passages from the exterior to the interior of said body, valve means operable to ,open the passages inwardly when pressure on the exteriorof the body exceeds that on the interior, and an annular outwardly extending skirt about the body and adjacent said valve means to deflect clogging material from said means.

ROBERT ALEXANDER WILSON. 

